Graham Brown (1924-2011), African American actor, was born Robert Elwood Brown in New York City. He attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., in the 1940s. As an actor, he worked primarily in the theater. He was a founding member of New York's Negro Ensemble Company and performed in the company's productions of

The River Niger, Nevis Mountain Dew, and Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, among others. He also had film roles in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) and Malcolm X (1992), as well as guest roles on television series such as Sanford and Son, Law and Order, and Cagney and Lacey. He changed his name to Graham Brown after college, but was occasionally credited professionally as Robert Graham Brown.
Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of the papers of Graham Brown from circa 1940-1980, including course material from his time as a student at Howard University, photographs, and printed material relating to Brown's work as a film and theater actor.